Almost 375,000 tourists visit Hanoi during Tet holidays

The annual Spring Calligraphy Festival, underway at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam from February 9-25, is part of a series of events in Hanoi to celebrate Tet festival, the Vietnamese New Year. Illustrative image. (Photo: ANTD)

Hanoi (VNA) – The number of international tourists
to the capital city of Hanoi are estimated to rise by 30 percent to 125,000
people during the week-long Tet (Vietnamese New Year) festival, according to
the municipal Department of Tourism.

Most of the foreign visitors came from China, the
Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, France, Germany, Australia,
Malaysia and Thailand.

The figure brought the total number of visitors to the
city during the Tet holidays from February 14-20 to nearly 375,000, an increase
of 13 percent from the same period last year. The figure included 250,000
domestic travellers, up 6 percent year on year.

The local tourism industry estimated to earn more than
1.28 trillion VND (56.5 million USD) during the biggest holiday of the year, up
19 percent year on year.

Most visitors flocked to the city’s popular attractions,
like Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Huong Son landscape
complex (also known as the Huong Pagoda), Ngoc Son Temple in the heart of Hoan
Kiem Lake, Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) and Quoc Tu Giam (the first
university in Vietnam) and the Vietnam National Villages for Ethnic Culture and
Tourism, which host a series of art performances and cultural activities to
celebrate the traditional New Year.

Most notable is the annual Spring Calligraphy Festival
which is underway at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam from February 9-25. About 63
calligraphers sit in bamboo tents, wearing ao dai (long robes), and perform the
writing, following the traditions of the past.

Most of four- and five-star hotels in Hanoi have cheered
the Lunar New Year festival with a number of special celebration events held
for their guests. For example, the Sofitel Legend Metropole’s Tet Market, also
known as “Tet Ha Thanh”, which recreated a bustling Hanoian market where
visitors can enjoy a range of Tet holiday foods. Other hotels, like Pan Pacific
and Apricot, hosted count-down and New Year’s Eve parties for their
​guests.-VNA